


The Unlikely Guardian

by Storyteller_of_the_Forest



Series: When the Dust Settles [3]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I don't do downbeat endings, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sort of a fix-it, Temporary Character Death, Thor (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 01:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14706728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyteller_of_the_Forest/pseuds/Storyteller_of_the_Forest
Summary: There's an outbreak of a virus in New Asgard. When Loki is afflicted with it, Thor stays at his side in the hospital. While the trickster sleeps, Brunhilde visits and tells Thor the story of what happened after the battle of Wakanda. Neither of the Odinsons realized that Loki had a small protector looking out for him while he was grieving his brother.





	The Unlikely Guardian

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my first fic, "No Place to Hide" (which was written mostly from Loki's perspective. I highly recommend reading that fic first as this one is directly related to it and it has to do with the events in that story). Also, the same warnings apply (haven't seen "Infinity War" and don't plan on seeing it, I don't really do romantic ships and I definitely don't do them between family members. If you're looking for that sort of thing, go elsewhere please)
> 
> I've always been a massive fan of narratives within narratives. When it's done correctly, it's fun to imagine that you and a character are both listening to a story together. I also enjoy different perspectives on the same event. I really loved writing "No Place to Hide" and I kept thinking it would be interesting to see the events of that story from another perspective.
> 
> I realized I made a sort of tiny error in not including Rocket, who apparently spent a lot of time with Thor in canon. It made the wheels in my mind start turning. Where was that crafty little raccoon during "No Place to Hide"? I really wanted the opportunity to write a bit more Valkyrie as well, because I adore her.
> 
> A couple last notes: in my mind, after the battle with Thanos, Thor left the Avengers to take care of his people. The original Avengers disbanded and there's a mostly new group of superheroes taking up the mantel. I feel like the original team earned a retirement after defeating Thanos. However, they all still keep in touch and visit each other on occasion.
> 
> Standard warnings and final notes:
> 
> I'm very, VERY new to writing fics. So I apologize for any mistakes, mis-characterizations, formatting errors, or just any glaring errors. Please be gentle.
> 
> Kudos and reviews are greatly appreciated. I don't own anything, obviously all characters and recognizable aspects belong to Marvel.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the story and thank you for reading.

* * *

 

Life in New Asgard was peaceful and for the most part, uneventful. Or, as Loki frequently described it, boring. The Odinsons proved to be great leaders and they worked hard every day to make sure their people were safe and well cared for. The Asgardians contributed to the society and some even ventured out into the wider world, eager to explore other opportunities. Likewise, some humans moved to New Asgard to help the people integrate.

There were trials and tribulations as there always were, but that was to be expected. Thor and Loki took things in stride and for the most part, they had prepared for just about everything. Which was why it was so odd that an Asgardian virus took them by surprise. It was a very old sickness, one that hadn’t been seen in decades. Nobody was quite sure who patient zero was, but when the small hospital started filling up with patients, the few Asgardian healers brought their concerns to the Odinsons. On Asgard, they had access to their own healing tools and treatments. Now, in Midgard, they were still learning new ways of healing, some of which seemed incredibly primitive to them.

Thor and Loki agreed that they should reach out to some of their allies with medical expertise to ask their opinions. Banner was quick to respond, immediately journeying to New Asgard to help his old allies. He even contacted some of his friends in the CDC, who agreed to go out to New Asgard to offer their assistance. Apparently it would be an excellent way to learn the differences in Asgardian biology, which would help the Asgardians learn what medicines were effective for them. According to the Midgardian doctors, the virus was similar to something they called influenza, though there were some differences.

One day, during a meeting, Thor noticed Loki looked paler than normal and was sweating a little. His brother had been acting off all week, off even for Loki. The trickster was lethargic and had no appetite. He had also been having coughing fits lately. It sent a spike of fear through Thor’s heart, since they had started hearing about people succumbing to the illness.

“You’re staring,” Loki grumbled from behind his book that night over dinner. Thor blinked and shook himself out of his thoughts.

“You’re not that interesting, brother,” he replied easily and Loki put his book down, giving him a skeptical look. Thor almost winced, but managed to suppress it. That look usually meant they were about to have an argument of some sort. He glanced at the plate of untouched food in front of Loki. _Loki, I swear, you are the most stubborn pain sometimes,_ Thor thought, trying not to be frustrated with his younger brother.

“And you’re not that subtle,” Loki said. “I’ve seen you glancing at me all day, Thor. I know this outbreak has you nervous, but I’m not getting sick. I’m _fine_. There was a different outbreak during your absence and the Asgardians got through it. As did I. Everything will be fine.”

“How many have succumbed to the illness?” Thor asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Twelve so far,” Loki answered, running his fingers over the table. “Thankfully, it seems Asgardian illnesses aren’t contagious to Midgardians. They’re working on a vaccine, so we can hopefully eradicate this virus for future generations.”

“And they have found a way to treat it?”

Loki nodded, coughing lightly. “There are some antivirals that have promising results in most Asgardians. The only ones at risk appear to be the elderly, the infirm, and very young children.”

Thor ran his hand over his clenched fist, watching his brother when the coughing fit got worse. Quickly getting to his feet, Thor moved over to Loki’s side and put a hand on his forehead. He swore when he felt the heat radiating off his brother’s skin.

“Dammit, Loki,” Thor growled. “You’re burning up.”

“I’m fi…well damn.”

Thor looked down to where Loki was looking at his open palm and felt his heart freeze when he saw the flecks of blood dotting his brother’s palm. Loki swallowed and looked up at Thor, starting to tremble slightly.

“My theory about possibly being immune due to my being Jotun might not be as solid as I thought,” Loki said with a sheepish grin. Thor wanted to throttle him. He might have had his brother not been overcome by another coughing fit, this one actually doubling him over.

“How long have you been feeling ill?” Thor demanded, gripping the trickster’s shoulders. Loki gasped as he tried to catch his breath, his face twisting in pain.

“A-a week,” Loki managed to gasp out between coughs. “Maybe a little more.”

Thor _really_ wanted to throttle his brother.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Thor stated, leaving no room for argument. “Loki? Loki!?”

The younger god slumped over and Thor was so taken off guard that he barely caught him. Loki’s breathing was alarmingly labored and his breaths rattled in his chest. The fact that his brother wasn’t arguing with Thor terrified the older god. The heat radiating off of him only increased Thor’s worry. After all they had survived, he couldn’t lose his brother to some random virus. No, he wouldn’t even entertain that thought.

“Hold on, brother, just hold on,” Thor pleaded as he pulled one of Loki’s arms over his shoulders and pulled his brother to his feet.

_*_

Hours later, Thor sat at his brother’s bedside, listening to the quiet beep of the heart monitor. A flexible rubber mask was set over Loki’s mouth and nose, helping to ease his breathing. His temperature was high, but not as dangerously high as it had been earlier. They’d had to submerge his younger brother in an ice bath in order to bring it down. That actually seemed to relax Loki, which didn’t surprise Thor. His brother had always enjoyed cooler temperatures.

Glancing up to the IV, Thor followed the line down to where it was delivering life-saving fluids and medicine to his younger brother. Reaching forward, he brushed some strands of hair out of Loki’s face. His brother looked so small in the hospital bed, so small and so frail. The memory of the giant titan crushing Loki’s throat after his brother’s foolhardy attempt to protect him, came unbidden to Thor’s mind and the god of thunder recoiled as if burned. Thor swallowed and forced his hands to stop shaking, letting out a slow and steady breath. He mentally counted down from ten, a useful trick his brother had taught him.

Loki remained still and silent in the bed. Banner had told Thor that all they could do was wait for the antivirals to do their work and let the virus to run its course. He had reassured him that Loki would almost certainly be fine, being young and in good health. But Thor still worried.

 _Dammit, Loki. Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling ill?_ Thor thought as he dropped his hand to his brother’s.

“Knock, knock.”

Thor glanced up, smiling faintly when he saw Brunhilde in the doorway. She held up a bottle of alcohol and two cups before moving into the room, kicking a nearby chair over to where Thor was seated and dropping into it.

“When you called, I figured you could use some company,” she mentioned, tilting her chin up at Loki. “How’s Lackey?”

“He hasn’t woken since he passed out earlier,” Thor reported, swallowing. “He’s on antivirals and Banner is optimistic that he will recover.”

“Doesn’t surprise me, the shit he’s managed to survive so far,” Brunhilde said with a smile and a shake of her head. “Don’t worry, Thor, if being impaled on a dark elf's blade couldn’t take your brother out, I highly doubt a virus can.”

“His fever was so high, Brunhilde,” Thor whispered, looking back to Loki’s face and noticing the red tinge to his cheeks. He hated feeling so helpless. This wasn’t some enemy he could defeat with Stormbreaker. He couldn’t help his brother fight this battle.

Brunhilde studied him for a moment before pouring a drink in both cups. “Since it seems like he’s going to be out for a while, I want to tell you about what happened after the battle of Wakanda, after your unfortunate demise.”

Thor furrowed his brow and looked over at her. She offered him a cup with a smile and a shrug. Putting her feet up on the bed, Brunhilde lounged back and looked the very picture of relaxed.

“You need a distraction and I know you’re not going to leave this room, figured now’s as good a time as any for a tale,” she explained, downing one cup. “And I know Lackey probably hasn’t told you much about that time since he was pretty out of it. I don’t think he even knew he had a furry little protector in Wakanda.”

She thrust the cup of alcohol at Thor, who was giving her a questioning look. “Trust me, you’ll want it for at least the first part of the story.”

Thor sighed and nodded his thanks, accepting the cup. He did want some kind of distraction, one that let him stay by his brother’s side. He had to be here, just in case Loki should awaken.

“There we go. So, my tale starts shortly after you bit it,” Brunhilde began in a carefree tone. “I came upon you and Lackey, but I wasn’t the first one there…”

****

Brunhilde moved through the field, searching for any survivors. Thankfully, most of the dead appeared to be the forces of Thanos. The Valkyrie was amazed at how few casualties they had suffered after the damage from the Gauntlet had been undone. It had been an epic battle, one she was sure would be recalled in many ballads and stories.

She had lost sight of Thor after one of his desperate attacks on Thanos. _That was so damn stupid. I am never going to let him forget that,_ she thought with a quiet laugh. He might be an optimistic fool, but he was heroic. Gods, she would never tell him that, but Thor was heroic to a fault. She was waiting for him to come on the coms, assuming he had met up with the Avengers again. She had told Rogers to have the god of thunder contact her once he found his way back to his friends and allies. It had been a while, but Brunhilde assumed that Thor was just celebrating a hard-earned victory.

The bodies were sparser the further she walked and the Valkyrie was about to turn around when she spotted a strange-looking rabbit sitting on a rock with an adolescent Floral Colossus, who was playing some sort of video game. Brunhilde frowned at the peculiar scene and approached them. The Floral Colossus nudged the rabbit without looking up from his game.

“I am Groot,” the tree said. The rabbit twitched an ear but didn’t look away from whatever held his attention. Brunhilde suddenly got a sinking feeling in her stomach, but wasn’t sure why. The enemy had been vanquished, the battle was won, they were victorious.

As she stepped up to the rock next to the rabbit, she saw a figure in green and black. He was rocking a little, holding tightly to a body. Brunhilde felt her breath stop in her chest when she caught a glimpse of a familiar red cape and short blondish hair.

“No,” she breathed in disbelief. No, not him, he couldn’t have fallen in battle. He was…he was Thor. The titan couldn’t have bested him. It felt like she had just been punched in the chest and she was so distraught over her fallen friend that she didn’t even wonder about how his brother (who was supposed to be dead. Again) was there and alive.

After getting over the shock of the scene, Brunhilde swallowed and pressed the earpiece one of the Avengers (Norns, was that where Thor got Revengers from?) had lent her. “I’m…I’m going to need a rescue vehicle out here. There’s a…there’s a body.”

“Who is it?” Rogers asked, his voice grim and tired. Brunhilde closed her eyes tightly for a moment, feeling a few tears slip free.

“Thor,” she managed to get out. “It’s Thor.”

She looked down at the rabbit who was looking up at her with large brown eyes. Were they filled with tears? Was the animal crying? Brunhilde noticed the large gun he was holding and felt her eyes widen briefly. She looked back to the two princes and moved over to them, walking around so that she was facing Loki. She slowly got to her knees and studied Thor, taking in the amount of wounds that decorated his body. Gods, there was so much blood. Despite the blood and bruises that marred Thor’s face, Brunhilde couldn’t help but notice that he looked at peace. Since Thanos massacred the Asgardian refugees, Thor had rarely smiled and often looked haunted. The loss weighed heavily on him, but now…now he just looked at peace.

Licking her lips, she turned her attention to Loki, who had his face in his brother’s shoulder. He was crying softly, not acknowledging her.

“Loki?” she said and his head jerked up. His green eyes were brimming with tears.

“Thank the gods,” he breathed. “Brunhilde, go get a healer! Thor needs help. We must help him. I can’t…I can’t leave him alone. Please, hurry!”

The Valkyrie reached out a hand and searched for a pulse on Thor, but was unable to find it. She had always been crap at finding a pulse though. Just because she felt nothing didn’t mean it wasn’t…there. It didn’t mean that great big heart was no longer beating. Next moving her hand to over his mouth and nose, she held it there briefly, feeling for breath. _Just a whisper, just any small bit of hope,_ she prayed. After a moment, she dropped her head and felt more tears gathering in her eyes.

“He’s gone. I’m sorry, Loki, but he’s gone,” she whispered, her voice quivering. Loki shook his head.

“No he’s not. He can’t be,” he protested.

“Loki—”

“No! Thanos can’t have him! He can’t have this victory,” Loki snapped. “He can’t take Thor away! He cannot…cannot…”

Loki trailed off and dropped his head to Thor’s shoulder. “I just…I just got him back. I just found him again. He’s all I have left. He can’t be gone. He can’t be.”

Brunhilde could hear the faint sound a Wakanda vehicle getting closer and she reached out a hand, squeezing Loki’s shoulder.

“I’m here, brother. I’m here,” Loki wept quietly and Brunhilde could feel her heart breaking with every trembling word.

When the vehicle arrived, Steve Rogers and some of the Dora Milaje climbed out, moving over to the two brothers. Loki immediately panicked and clutched Thor tighter. Brunhilde noticed the rabbit inch closer to Loki, taking up an almost defensive position next to the grieving god, placing his small body between Loki and the people who had just arrived.

“You cannot take him away!” he cried, turning his eyes to Brunhilde, begging, “Please don’t let them take him away.”

“Loki, look at me,” Brunhilde said, grasping his shoulder tightly. “We’re just going to take him off the field and to a hospital, okay? You can go with him. Nobody is going to take him away from you. I give you my word. You can stay with him for as long as you need, okay?”

Loki looked to Thor’s still face and then back to Brunhilde, nodding once. He allowed the Dora and Steve to help him get Thor’s body into the vehicle, instantly climbing in after him. Brunhilde went to get into the vehicle but almost tripped over the rabbit.

“Watch it, lady,” he snarled at her as he hopped in, moving close to Loki. Brunhilde was about to climb in when the Floral Colossal jumped in after the rabbit. She exchanged a look with Steve, who just shrugged. She climbed in and sat above Loki, who was sitting on the floor next to his brother’s body. He clutched Thor’s hand, holding it against his cheek, tears still spilling down his face. It was bizarre to see such open emotion from the trickster, who was one of the cagiest individuals she had ever met. At one time, Brunhilde would have loved to have seen him taken down a peg. But not like this, never like this.

They soon reached the facility where the wounded and the fallen were being taken. Steve and a few members of the Dora carried the board bearing Thor off the vehicle. They made sure Loki was able to keep contact with his brother as they put it on a hovering stretcher inside the building. The rabbit followed on Loki’s heels with the Floral Colossal, who was apparently called Groot, following after him. Brunhilde fell in step behind the stretcher. Every step felt heavier than the last and Brunhilde struggled to keep her expression stoic.

All of the Avengers were inside and they stood as the body of their teammate was brought in, bowing their heads in respect. They all looked worse for wear and completely exhausted, many of them looked as though it was an effort just to remain standing upright. But they did. Brunhilde saw the woman in red, Wanda, start weeping softly and the blonde spy, Natasha, put an arm around her. None of them commented on Loki’s presence, which surprised Brunhilde based on his actions during his first visit to Midgard. Then again, Thor hadn’t been able to stop talking about his brother the night before the battle. Perhaps that had softened their opinions of him.

As they progressed further into the area, she saw the Guardians standing in front of some beds. They also bowed their heads. Brunhilde saw the two sisters, Nebula and Gamora, standing side-by-side. During that final battle, she hadn’t seen one without the other. They fought almost as hard as Thor had. Groot, not looking up from his video game, wandered over to them and hopped up on one of the beds, next to the man Brunhilde remembered as Drax. The Guardians, with the exception of Nebula and Drax, all looked on the verge of tears. As they passed by, Brunhilde saw the empath, Mantis, fall to her knees, her antennae drooping and her expression sorrowful. The woman wiped away tears and kept her eyes on the ground, her lower lip trembling.

“You can bring him in here,” the kind voice of T’Challa made Brunhilde look up and she respectfully bowed her head to the King of Wakanda as the group brought Thor’s body into the room T’Challa indicated.

“Thank you, King T’Challa. Your generosity is very much appreciated,” Brunhilde said, glancing through the window to where Loki was standing beside his brother’s body. Steve Rogers grabbed an empty chair and placed it near the brokenhearted trickster. Loki lowered himself into the chair, an almost mechanical motion, his eyes never moving from his brother’s still face. Rogers hesitantly patted his shoulder before leaving the room, giving Loki some privacy. The super soldier nodded to Brunhilde before going to rejoin his teammates.

“I’m…I’m not sure how long Loki is going to want to sit with his brother,” Brunhilde mentioned. “But I can move him, if anyone has need of the room.”

T’Challa raised a hand and offered her a sympathetic smile. “That will not be necessary. He can spend as much time as he needs.”

The Valkyrie glanced over when she noticed his younger sister approaching. Brunhilde liked the girl. Shuri was smart and a capable fighter. Before that last battle, Brunhilde had made a vow that if she made it through to the end, she would ask if Shuri could make her a pair of those energy blasters in the shape of paws. Glancing back to where Loki was sitting with his fallen brother, the Valkyrie decided that could wait.

“Is there some place where he could rest? When he decides to leave, I mean?” she asked.

“There are plenty of rooms in the palace,” T’Challa began but Brunhilde shook her head.

“No, that wouldn’t be wise. Loki…Thor told me that Loki can be very destructive when grieving,” she explained. “Very destructive and very loud. I do not wish to disturb others and I know that he wouldn’t want others to see or hear him in such a state.”

T’Challa wore a thoughtful expression but it was Shuri who spoke up. “There are some huts by the river. I had Bucky rest there after I finished stripping out the Hydra programming. It’s quiet and removed. He would be completely undisturbed.”

“That would be perfect. Thank you,” Brunhilde said gratefully, her gaze turning back to Loki and Thor. Loki’s hopeful eyes felt like a knife to the chest every time she saw them. She closed her eyes and looked down at her feet. Shortly before that last battle, Thor had made her promise that should Loki return, she would look out for him if Thor were to fall. _Please, Brunhilde. I need to know my brother won’t be alone if I die in this war._ She had agreed, mostly to get him to stop talking nonsense before what was going to be a hell of a fight. Now, she was determined to stay true to her word. Thor was her friend and he was, technically, her king. Plus, Loki was part of the Revengers. Brunhilde was always loyal to her team.

“We can show him to one of the huts when he’s ready,” T’Challa agreed, bringing the Valkyrie back to the present. “If you’ll excuse me, there are matters that require my attention.”

Brunhilde nodded and smiled gratefully, not trusting her voice at the moment. She rested a hand on the hilt of her sword and watched as the two siblings left to carry out their duties. Brunhilde ran a hand over her face, considering what to do next. A loud bang startled her and drew her attention to the rabbit, who she hadn’t realized was still there.

“This is absolute bullshit!” the animal snapped, kicking the wall again to create the same loud bang. “This entire situation is complete and total bullshit! This world is just a garbage pit and even when you win, you lose…fuck it all!”

Brunhilde stared at him, not sure how to respond. He looked up at her, his eyes still very wet and he looked on the verge of tears.

“Thor lost everything! Everything and everyone. He had nothing left! That giant purple bastard murdered his own brother right in front of him and Thor kept fighting. He said he had nothing left to lose. Thanos broke him and he still fought for everyone. He stupidly kept fighting. And then his brother comes back and Thor dies?”

The animal kicked a chair down the hall. “He just got his brother back! He just got him back and Thanos still fucking won. What kind of bullshit is that?”

The rabbit jumped up into a seat and slumped down, dropping his face into his hands. Brunhilde swallowed and cautiously sat beside him, glancing once more at Loki. The trickster reached out with one shaking bloody hand, brushing some hair out of Thor’s face. He didn’t seem to notice the commotion outside.

“Name’s Rocket, by the way,” the rabbit said.

“Brunhilde,” she replied. Rocket looked up at her.

“It’s not fair,” he said softly.

Brunhilde shook her head, looking back to the windows. Loki slowly tilted forward until his brow rested on the hand he held.

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed.

Rocket swallowed and turned his eyes to the windows, watching the trickster and his fallen brother. “The one person Thor wanted back, the one person he thought he failed to protect, and there he is. Right there. We won, the world won, and those two still lost.”

The two of them sat in a comfortable quiet, keeping watch over the Odinsons.

_*_

The next afternoon, Brunhilde entered the room, intending to get Loki to eat something. Rocket followed her in. To her surprise, the trickster stood from his chair, gently putting one hand on the side of Thor’s neck. The Valkyrie felt a lump in her throat when Loki leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his brother’s brow. She recognized it as a sign that Loki understood his brother was gone. Quickly swiping at traitorous tears that escaped her eyes, she stood patiently by the door.

After a moment, Loki straightened up and made his way out of the room, not aware of her presence at all. Brunhilde noticed the small tremors that wracked his normally steady hands. The trickster nearly walked into T’Challa, who happened to be walking down the hall with Ayo and Okoye. Loki bowed respectfully to the monarch and T’Challa clasped his hands behind his back, a gentle smile on his face.

“King T’Challa, I…I thank you for your hospitality,” Loki spoke with as much formality as he could muster. “Is there a place where I might be able to rest? I am very tired and would greatly appreciate a place where I could sleep.”

“Of course. My sister, Shuri, has arranged for one of the lodgings by the river to be made up for you. Ayo will show you to it.”

Loki nodded in gratitude, his eyes wandering back to where his brother’s body lay. “If…if it’s not too much trouble, will you give my brother a proper burial? We had our own rituals in Asgard, but since Asgard is no more, I fear I’m at a loss about what to do with—”

Loki choked on a sob and looked down at his feet, unable to continue. T’Challa reached out and gave Loki’s shoulder a supportive squeeze.

“I shall see that your brother is granted the honors befitting the hero he was. Thor will be well taken care of, I give you my word.”

Loki nodded again and T’Challa motioned to Ayo. Brunhilde moved over to Loki, gently grasping his arm and exchanging a look with Ayo, who started to lead them out of the building. Glancing to the side, Brunhilde noticed Rocket following alongside them.

_*_

When they reached the hut, Loki just climbed into the bed, curled up and fell asleep. For the next couple days, all he did was sleep.

Then, he started screaming and lashing out. He beat his knuckles raw and bloody on the walls, threw the few random items that were in the hut, and clawed at the ground. The worst was the wailing and shouting, like a wounded animal shrieking in pain. Brunhilde did her best to avoid the hut, busying herself with helping the Wakandans repair the monumental amount of damage. She spent nights with Ayo. Spending nights in her new lover’s arms gave the Valkyrie a break from the grief and sadness. Brunhilde hadn’t expected to ever find love again, much less during a war.

Rocket, however, stood guard. He remained by Loki’s hut, just outside. Normally, when Brunhilde saw him, in the mornings and afternoon, he was cleaning a weapon or assembling something that looked unsettlingly dangerous. Sometimes Groot would be with him and sometimes Rocket would be by himself. But he was always there.

When she would bring Loki meals, making sure he ate at least some small amount, Rocket would follow her in and clean whatever mess there was. If Loki had broken something, Rocket would repair it. If he had left smears of blood on the wall, Rocket would scrub them clean. When they would leave, the hut would be neat and tidy again. Rocket would follow Brunhilde outside and busy himself with whatever he had been working on before going into the hut, usually some sort of gadget or weapon.

Gradually, Loki’s outbursts started settling down, but then the trickster just did nothing but stare at the wall. He was just a shell of his former self and that bothered Brunhilde more than the destructive outbursts. Loki seemed so lifeless and it was heartbreaking. She would give anything to get back the annoying overconfident bastard she had first met on Sakaar.

One afternoon, while doing some rebuilding work, Brunhilde happened to be walking by the Guardians’ ship and heard a very loud conversation. Curious, she crept closer and listened.

“Okay, run this by me again. You want me to do what now?” Peter Quill asked.

“I don’t know, Quill! Invite the guy for a meal or something? I don’t know grieving customs!” Rocket replied in his usual irritated tone.

“I still don’t understand why you’re so invested in Thor’s brother. Look, I liked Thor too. I’m sad he’s gone and I’m really gonna miss the guy, but I don’t know the first thing about comforting someone who is grieving.”

“It’s one of your many inadequacies.”

“Thanks, Nebula. That’s really helpful,” Quill’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Thor told us all stories about his brother. We know how much he loved him. But you guys didn’t see how broken the guy was. He had _no one_ left. He was crushed. Loki was the person he wanted to protect the most in the world and he thought he’d failed,” Rocket paused and Brunhilde could hear his small steps pacing around a bit before he declared, “I’m not leaving this planet until I’m sure that Loki is going to be okay. I owe Thor that much.”

There was a brief quiet before Gamora spoke up. “Thor was technically part of this crew briefly, one of us. And he did fall defending the galaxy. The least we can do is make sure that his brother is okay and healing. I’d like to do that for Thor.”

“Perhaps it would help Loki if we told him the memories we have of his brother,” Mantis put in, a thrill of excitement in her voice. “Remind him of Thor’s life instead of…instead of his passing. We could give him some happy memories of his brother.”

Brunhilde heard Quill sigh heavily, resigned.

“All right, fine. But I still don’t see why I’m the one you want to send.”

“If you doubt your ability, I shall go,” Drax offered. “I will tell him that I’m sorry the titan slaughtered his brother in battle and how sad it is that Thor is gone forever. He may have died painfully, but he died saving the galaxy.”

“ _Why_? Why would you say that?” Quill asked.

“I’ll go,” Nebula spoke up. “I can be very convincing.”

“Nope, nope. Nooooo. That’s okay. I’ll go talk to him tonight,” Quill quickly agreed. Brunhilde smiled faintly and moved away from the ship, deciding to make herself scarce for the night. There were going to be revelries anyway.

As she was moving away, she glanced over her shoulder and noticed Rocket leave the ship again with a box of tools and gadgets, walking in the direction of Loki’s hut to resume his silent vigil.

A few days later, Brunhilde felt an inkling of hope when she saw Loki hesitantly leave the hut and move in the direction of the Milano. She silently followed him at a distance, watching as he paused a few feet away from the ship, studying it for a moment. Finally, Loki made his way inside and Brunhilde allowed herself a small smile.

****

Thor felt his breath stop in his chest and he turned his tearful eyes back to his brother, who still lay in the bed. Running a hand through his dark locks, Thor smiled when Loki turned his head ever so slightly toward his brother’s hand.

“After that meeting with the Guardians, there was a gradual change in Loki,” Brunhilde said, pausing to take a drink. “He was still a stubborn bastard, still lost in grief, but he was a bit more…” she trailed off and rotated her wrist a couple times as though trying to think of the right word. “Alive. The light started returning to his eyes. I think that’s when I started to realize things were going to be okay.

“Don’t get me wrong, it was rough that first year. Loki had some _bad_ days, which was to be expected,” Brunhilde mentioned. “But he pulled through. There’s no doubt in my mind that he did it mostly for you. Probably for Frigga too. But…I think he also did it for himself. He mentioned what you said to him back on Sakaar. I think those words really had an impact on him, Thor. I think he does want to try to be a good man.”

“I know he does,” Thor agreed softly. “He was lost for a while, but I think he has finally come home. He showed great courage when he returned during that last battle. Even when he’s at his worst, Loki always comes through when he’s needed. That’s why I’ve always been proud to call him my brother.”

Thor sat back in his chair, glancing over at Brunhilde. “Do you think there’s any way to get in contact with the Guardians? I would very much like to thank them for taking care of my brother in his hour of need.”

She smirked and put the bottle down on the ground. “I personally don’t know, but they were talking with Shuri and Tony Stark before they left. Perhaps one of them would have a better idea.”

Thor beamed. “Thank you, Brunhilde.”

The Valkyrie did an overdramatic flourish with her wrist and she bowed her head. “You are most welcome, my liege.”

Thor couldn’t help but laugh at her teasing before turning his attention back to his sick brother, who was still sleeping soundly. Thor carefully took his warm hand and gave it a very gentle squeeze.

It was so faint and so weak that Thor thought he might have imagined it, but he could swear he felt Loki very lightly squeeze back.

_*_

It was several days before Loki fully woke up. Thor never left his side, sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital chairs, sometimes with his head on the bed. When Loki awoke, the sun had just risen. He felt groggy and uncomfortably warm, a few lingering effects of the virus. He was confused by a strange feeling in his nose but quickly realized it was just a device that was helping him to breathe. After taking in the machines that surrounded him, Loki deduced he was in the hospital. Glancing toward the foot of the bed when he heard soft snoring, he spotted Brunhilde asleep on a chair with her feet up on the bed.

His eyes wandered to his left side and he couldn’t help but smile faintly. Thor was resting his head on the bed, one hand covering Loki’s. His older brother looked so serene and young. It was rare that Thor slept peacefully and Loki was almost loathe to wake him. However, knowing his older brother, Thor would be annoyed if he knew his younger brother had woken up and not let him know. Loki swallowed, wincing at the ache in his throat, and reached over with his free hand, gently running it through Thor’s short hair. Thor blinked a couple times and yawned, looking toward his brother. He straightened up immediately, his eyes sparkling with relief.

“Loki, you’re awake,” Thor said softly and Loki rolled his eyes at his brother pointing out the obvious.

“So it would seem,” Loki replied, wincing a little at the ache in his throat. Thor grinned and squeezed his hand.

“I’m glad.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

Thor scrunched up his nose a bit, thinking. “Four days, I think. Perhaps five.”

Loki groaned and raised a hand to his head, clenching his eyes shut. The thought of how much work he probably had to catch up on made his head ache.

Thor gently placed a hand on the side of his face, directing his younger brother’s attention to him. “Do not worry about anything, brother. I can take care of our duties to New Asgard while you recover. I just need you to get well. Rest and recover your strength, Loki, please.”

Loki studied him for a moment before nodding. Both turned their eyes to the Valkyrie who startled awake suddenly. Her eyes fell on Loki and she gave him a half-smile.

“Good to see you awake, Lackey. You had your brother worried for a minute there.”

Loki smiled, even as he felt his eyelids drooping. He was really very tired, which was strange seeing as how he’d apparently been sleeping for days. The trickster drifted off into an easy sleep under the watchful eye of his older brother and the Valkyrie.

_*_

Banner kept Loki under observation for a few more days, much to the trickster’s chagrin. _I’m fine,_ he argued, drawing an irritated glare from his older brother. Banner told him it was just to be safe. Korg and Miek dropped by to visit, bringing a bucket of rocks (which apparently was Korg’s people’s version of flowers). They, along with Brunhilde, were covering most of the brothers’ responsibilities while Loki recovered. Thor was beyond grateful to them. He vowed never to take the friends in his life for granted as he had done in the past.

When Loki was finally discharged, Banner warned Thor that it would probably take a while for him to recover fully. He wouldn’t bounce back to his old self right away. His body was still healing and fighting off the last of the virus. _He’s going to sleep a lot, so be prepared for that,_ Banner told him, glancing over Thor’s shoulder to where Loki already seemed to be drifting off. Thor listened carefully to all his instructions and Banner wrote a few prescriptions for medicines that would help Loki’s recovery.

After he was done, Banner looked over at Loki, a smile playing on his face. “You know, if you had told me a few years ago that I would be taking care of the guy who led the Chitauri invasion of New York, I would have said you were crazy. But your brother does grow on people.”

Thor let out a soft laugh, glancing briefly at Loki. “He’s a complicated individual who is prone to making the absolute worst decisions, but I do believe he is good at heart. Even when he wants everyone to believe otherwise.”

“Well, I’m glad the two of you have each other. Take care of him, Thor,” Banner said with a twinkle in his eye. “Would hate to lose a member of the Revengers.”

Thor laughed loudly at that and clapped Banner on the shoulder. “Thank you for everything, Banner. You’re always welcome in New Asgard.”

“I was considering a change of scenery,” Banner replied thoughtfully, glancing behind him when a nurse called his name. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Thor nodded and watched him leave, turning back to his brother and smiling affectionately at the tired trickster. “Come on, Loki. Let’s get you home.”

_*_

The days passed slowly and Thor dedicated himself to taking care of his brother, who spent most of the time sleeping on the couch. He would occasionally awaken and Thor made sure to get medicine and broth in him during the few hours he was conscious. The god of thunder enjoyed the peace and quiet, something that he would have thought impossible in his younger years.

They received a package one afternoon from Wakanda and Thor opened it curiously. Inside was a phone that had a faint hint of magic thrumming in it, enough that even Thor could sense it. There was a handwritten note from Shuri. _Brunhilde mentioned you wanted to talk with the Guardians. They’re in the contacts. But they’re terrible about answering._

Thor laughed and studied the phone as he sat with his back against the couch. Behind him, Loki muttered in his sleep and turned over onto his other side, tugging the blanket tighter around him. Thor glanced at his brother and then turned the phone on, quickly finding the contacts. He found the Guardians and pressed the button to call them.

They didn’t pick up the first few times Thor tried to call them. Before he could try again, Loki woke up coughing and Thor set about taking care of him. He didn’t get a chance to try calling the Guardians until the following day. This time, it only took two tries before they answered. A video of Groot appeared on the small phone screen, amazingly bright and clear.

“I am Groot?” he asked, a smile starting to grow on his face. Thor laughed, overjoyed to see the Floral Colossal.

“Yes, Groot. It’s me. It is good to see you, my friend,” Thor replied. “How have you been? Where are the others?”

“I am Groot! I am Groot! I AM GROOT!!!!”

The tree turned around and started gesturing wildly. Soon, the other Guardians were crowding around the screen, equally bright smiles lighting up all their faces.

“Thor!” they all cried in unison.

“Buddy, we were told you were once again among the living but we scarcely dared believe!” Quill said with a whoop and Thor laughed at their excitement. His heart warmed to see his new friends alive and well and together.

“And he’s still a beautiful man!” Drax declared with a loud laugh. A hint of a smile played over Nebula’s typically expressionless face and Thor nodded to her. He regretted that he hadn’t had much of a chance to meet her. He and Gamora had spoken at length about their siblings and Thor wanted to meet the brave sister who Gamora recalled so fondly.

“How is your brother?” Mantis asked and Thor glanced over to where Loki was curled up on the couch, asleep. He couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful his brother looked. Loki’s sleep had often been troubled, but since Thor’s returned, Loki’s rest seemed less distressing and even easier.

“He is well. We recently had a virus outbreak here in New Asgard and unfortunately he came down with it, but he’s recovering now,” Thor explained, turning the phone so they could see Loki. They shouted his name loudly, excited to see the trickster again. Loki frowned slightly in his sleep but didn’t wake up. When Thor looked back to the phone, Mantis was beaming from ear to ear, her antennae lit up slightly.

“He’s content,” she told Thor. “And happy. You can tell just by looking at him. The grief and fear and loneliness no longer haunt his face. He’s just at peace.”

Thor smiled, the words lifting a weight from his heart. Part of him had worried about whether or not Loki was truly happy in New Asgard. His brother was infuriatingly difficult to read.

“I am Groot?”

“Yes, Groot. I wanted to see all of you again and thank you for everything you did, for me and for Midgard.” Thor paused briefly and cleared his throat. “I was also wondering…if you wouldn’t mind, may I have a word alone with Rocket?”

“Of course,” Gamora replied, nodding to the rabbit sitting in the chair. He was just as excited as the rest of the crew, but he had been unusually quiet. He turned the screen toward him so that he was the only one in frame while the other Guardians went about doing various tasks.

“Hey, Rocket, I want to talk to Thor again before you hang up,” Quill said and Rocket waved a paw dismissively. Thor could feel emotion welling in his throat and he tried to find the words to express how grateful he was to Rocket.

“Good to see death didn’t stick,” Rocket stated, a rare smile gracing his lips and Thor laughed at that. The god of thunder glanced at his still sleeping brother when Loki turned onto his other side. Thor carefully pulled the blanket up a little more and rubbed Loki’s shoulder. The god of thunder turned his attention back to the phone.

“Brunhilde told me that you looked after my brother, after the final battle of Wakanda,” Thor started, emotion starting to bleed into his voice. “I wanted to thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it,” Rocket replied, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “I woulda felt terrible if something happened to him. After everything you had been through, not to mention everything he had been through. Just seemed like you guys needed a break.”

“Rocket, I owe you a great debt and I do not think I can ever repay it,” Thor said. “Loki is all I have left of my family and you protected him when I could not.”

Rocket was quiet for a bit, fidgeting with some gadget. After a moment, he gave up and put it off to the side, turning his attention back to Thor.

“Look, I know what it’s like to feel alone in the world. You told me you had nothing left to lose and when I saw your brother…I knew that he probably felt the same way after losing you. I didn’t want Thanos to have any sort of victory. Especially not one over you. The bastard had hurt enough people, torn apart too many families, messed with my crew,” Rocket shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair. “I didn’t do anything really. I just made sure your brother knew there was a way forward. I figured survival was the best revenge against Thanos.”

Thor’s breath caught in his throat and he leaned back so that his head rested against Loki’s back. He felt his brother relax even more, sighing softly in his sleep.

“I do not think Loki was aware of you,” he confessed and Rocket grinned.

“Hell, that’s okay. I’m not great at the weepy emotional mushy eternal-gratitude-heroic-monologue stuff and I don’t think your brother is either,” he replied. “Anyway, Loki did all the heavy lifting. A few of us just helped get him back on his feet in your stead.”

Thor smiled and Rocket looked up at something in the ship.

“I’ll deny saying this until the end of time if you tell anyone, but I’m glad you’re alive, Thor, and I’m really glad that you and your brother reunited,” Rocket muttered, almost begrudgingly.

“Thank you, my friend. I’m glad you and the rest of the Guardians emerged from the war relatively unscathed,” Thor replied and Rocket nodded.

“Hey, just to give you a heads up, we’re planning to stop by Earth again next year. Quill’s feeling somewhat homesick and he wants to show us the sites when there’s not the threat of an apocalypse hanging over our heads,” Rocket mentioned. “We’re planning to swing by New Asgard, maybe visit you and Loki. Ya know, if you’re not too busy being royalty and all.”

Thor could feel his eyes light up. “That would be wonderful. I would love to see all of you again and I know my brother feels the same.”

Rocket grinned. “Yeah, so we’ll be looking forward to that. Take care of yourself, Thor. You and your brother.”

“Safe journey, Rocket. I look forward to seeing you and the Guardians again,” Thor said and Rocket reached forward. Thor briefly heard Quill shout a protest and then the screen went blank. He chuckled to himself, already missing the quirky group. Behind him, Thor heard Loki roll back onto his other side. Turning his eyes to his brother, he smoothed the blanket over Loki’s shoulder again.

“I’m not sure how much of that you heard,” Thor began.

“Enough,” was the tired response and Thor grinned.

“It will be good to see them again.”

“Mmhm,” Loki replied, nestling down more under the blanket. “In a few months, we can discuss possible lodgings and other arrangements for their visit. Hopefully I’ll be less groggy and more awake then.”

Thor smiled and gently kissed his brother’s temple. He got to his feet, moving to the kitchen to make more broth for the next time Loki woke up. Pausing at the doorway, Thor looked back to his brother, who had already fallen asleep again. A small smile was dancing across his younger brother’s lips and the sight of it warmed Thor’s heart.

 

 

 

 

**_The End_ **


End file.
